New computer

[smith#29]

hey guys,

i know there is alot of 'computer smart' people out there so some input/help would be awesum.

seen as our old computer (desktop) decided to **** it self, we are at the moment using the laptop which isnt all that good lol, we need to get a new computer.

my questions would be:

should we buy a new desktop or another laptop? and please tell me why you said with ever you chose.

the computer will be used for bit of everything really, fair bit of Call of Duty online, word processing, movies, etc. and dont want it to be slow and crappy like the old one was becoming, so if you know of any good computers to buy, could you please tell me which one is good, and what i should look to buy. sorry ive got no idea really about computer parts and that so stay with me on this lol.

thanx guys,

[STEALTHY™]

I know a good place for a decent computer for less than what the franchise store pay, but its in SA (you didn't give a location so not sure where you are)

[Tom_1569]

Lappy vs Desktop......
My recommendation is if you dont take it out of the house go a desktop, cheaper, better bang for buck, and easier to repair. Laptops are great, but they are expensive, generally not as up-spec, expensive to repair, and are prone to breaking more often in my opinion.

What sort of budget you working with? Preference of Operating system.
Do you want a brand name computer or custom built, also is there anything specific it has to have?

[Goon]

Shop jobs usally dont run allot of games, but custom jobs do, depending what u want, dont forget to get a good power supply if your going custom!!

my old boy spent almost 4gs on his comp and its the bomb, can run any game u want..and its kept up with the games for the last 3 years **the recent mod his done was an 850w power supply**

i spent abit over 1 g for my studio pc from a shop and it can just handle nfs carbon lol, but i didnt buy it for games...

laptops are crap...

know what u want mate and you can get it built, just dont think about car mods for awhile lol

[vy_storm]

Question is, how old is the dead one and can it be upgraded easily. If its not too old it might be worth saving.

[joshtaylor87]

Yeah mate, I wouldn't get a laptop unless you REALLY want/need portability. If you don't mind having to use your computer in the same spot every time definitely go with a Desktop. As mentioned by others you get a lot more for your $. A lot simpler to fix meaning a lot cheaper to fix.

You've mentioned that you have another laptop that you've been using. I would suggest to get a new Desktop, and if you want to do some work or whatever in the lounge room for example or you want to take a computer with you on holidays etc use the older laptop...Desktop pc is definitely the way to go. And I would get one custom built to your needs by a reputable specialist PC shop. Don't go to one of of the big retailers like Harvey Norman etc. And don't order one from Dell either, they may look cheap but you get what you pay for. They (and most big brand computers) use cheap components which may technically have the same spec as a better more expensive product eg 2gb of cheap ram still holds the same amount of data as 2gb of dearer better quality ram but the cheaper ram will most likely fail a lot quicker that the better quality one. And as soon as you start adding on extras/upgrades that's where they hit you.

So my recommendation would be to go a custom built Desktop. Haha that turned out to be a big post just to say that didn't it lol.

Oh and as far as upgrading the old one, even if the motherboard in it has the latest cpu socket etc you will probably find it won't be compatible with the latest FSB speeds meaning you won't get the best out of a new cpu and ram combo anyway. And it would be near impossible to find a BIOS update for the motherboard presuming the computer was a brand name computer like hp/compaq/dell/acer etc. And it wouldn't be worth putting a new M/B CPU and RAM in, you may as well spend a couple hundred more and get new everything. Just my opinion though.

[50LTRv8]

Shop jobs usally dont run allot of games, but custom jobs do, depending what u want, dont forget to get a good power supply if your going custom!!

my old boy spent almost 4gs on his comp and its the bomb, can run any game u want..and its kept up with the games for the last 3 years **the recent mod his done was an 850w power supply**

i spent abit over 1 g for my studio pc from a shop and it can just handle nfs carbon lol, but i didnt buy it for games...

laptops are crap...

know what u want mate and you can get it built, just dont think about car mods for awhile lol

HAHAHAHA 4Gs on a PC, thats just wasting money, why not just light it with a match.

The best advice I can give you is to have a look at some of the previous threads on here for some online shops. If you go a desktop to play games then I wouldn't spend any more than about $1800 which will get you a good graphics card, 4GB RAM, 1 terabyte hard drive, decent case/power supply and a nice monitor.

Come back with a budget and we can suggest some stuff from there.

[MovieDude]

If you want to play games with high graphics demands then I would avoid laptops and notebooks. Their video cards are either built-in or low spec. and you may find it hard to use the undersized keyboard. RAM (main memory) upgrades will be limited to one or two slots (one of these will be in use when you buy it), the hard drive will be small in comparision to desktops and most run slower at 5400rpm (all desktop drives run at 7200rpm). As has been said only consider a laptop if you need to move the computer regularly and/or have a very small room.

Desktops have all the advantages bar portability. You will get more bang for your buck in choosing a desktop over a laptop. As for brands I have built several for myself and friends and though fairly easy you need to remember that the warranties are only on the individual components and not on the computer as a whole; what this means is that you have no one to call if your computer fails to start or develops a strange problem. If you are computer savvy then go for it. Otherwise go for a good brand within budget. Dell do make exceptional systems. They use the latest components and have great cases (unlike custom jobs). Their warranties can be trusted and their service top notch. Take a look at their website and catch their weekly deals.

[Tom_1569]

and have great cases (unlike custom jobs).

huh? I dont what custom cases your buying but nearly any custom case is better then the crap cases OEM's supply, they are small cheap and are there to cram everything in using the least materials. Custom cases are definitly the way to go, look at the Cooler master cases, for 50 bux (without PSU) they have some of the best cooling for a cheap case, Im running my server in a RC330 never once have I have had a problem with cooling, everything fits perfectly, and is a great case to work with especially with simple cable routes which most oem cases dont offer.
Beside that, good post mate.

[MovieDude]

Sure Cooler Master cases are excellent and there are other great specialist case makers too. But most custom-built computers are from shopping malls or similar and at the budget level they will likely use cases at the lower end. These will use a large amount of plastic, have difficult to remove covers, poor fitting panels, fewer bays, poor ventilation and no sound proofing.
Another point to note is that a branded off-the-shelf system will have the operating system (Windows Vista) installed and fully set up. A custom job may not include this in the sticker price and if installed for you it may have been done under time contraints with little or no testing. The brand name system will also likely have a restore facility should you have a serious software problem further down the line.

[Tom_1569]

Sure Cooler Master cases are excellent and there are other great specialist case makers too. But most custom-built computers are from shopping malls or similar and at the budget level they will likely use cases at the lower end. These will use a large amount of plastic, have difficult to remove covers, poor fitting panels, fewer bays, poor ventilation and no sound proofing.
Another point to note is that a branded off-the-shelf system will have the operating system (Windows Vista) installed and fully set up. A custom job may not include this in the sticker price and if installed for you it may have been done under time contraints with little or no testing. The brand name system will also likely have a restore facility should you have a serious software problem further down the line.

Yeah there are some very poor cases out there, but if hes getting a custom built comp then he should be choosing a decent case. I dont know why people use poor cases, a decent case can be had for 50 bux so no need to waste 30 bux on a shit one.
A decent computer shop should not charge to install windows if they build your PC, I never have, nor would I. The restore utilities are generally rubbish and reinstall a heap of useless preloaded software. One of the reasons its cheaper for an OS with an OEM like HP Acer etc is they make money from 3rd parties by installing trial software etc, which is generally a pain in the ass and a clutter. BUT for a basic home user it is a great utility, but then reinstalling windows from scratch is basic as hell these days anyway.

[STEALTHY™]

My custom built one came with Vista.

4gb ram, 500gb HD, half decent videocard etc. And an awesome case (not the one i wanted, but the 2nd best one i could find). Also a 22in monitor

Bargain for 1200

[Goon]

HAHAHAHA 4Gs on a PC, thats just wasting money, why not just light it with a match.

The best advice I can give you is to have a look at some of the previous threads on here for some online shops. If you go a desktop to play games then I wouldn't spend any more than about $1800 which will get you a good graphics card, 4GB RAM, 1 terabyte hard drive, decent case/power supply and a nice monitor.

Come back with a budget and we can suggest some stuff from there.

My old boy earns over 100,000gs a year why not? lol plus his always owned a pc since he could back in the commodore 64 days its something he likes..and no he doesnt own a sweetride so why waste 4 gs on that??? his a paramedic so i highly doubt it with the crap his seen on the roads...

besideds u wont have a budget until you know who your going to buy one off..

[Ozzie]

mine cost me around 5 grand when i built it

now its outdated

The 2 xfire cards cant even handle GTA4 cous there 128bit

[Goon]

mine cost me around 5 grand when i built it

now its outdated

The 2 xfire cards cant even handle GTA4 cous there 128bit

did u run the test the games graphics option has?? something mark? its called.. if not u should try it, if u have well that sucks man

[50LTRv8]

U sure he isn't CSP?

O.k. I earn 90K a year and still won't bother spending that much money on a PC.

The rate at which newer versions of hardware are release is getting to the point of crazyness. Your far better off saving your 2K and then buying a newer machine in 1.5 - 2 years down the track, and buying something that will blow your current rig away. My machine is 2 years old and it can still play any new games that come out at 1600 * 1200 at high graphics ratings.

That machine is a Core 2 6600 (mildly overclocked) with a 8800 GT (factory overclocked) with 3GB RAM.

Runs Crysis quite nicely

[50LTRv8]

mine cost me around 5 grand when i built it

now its outdated

The 2 xfire cards cant even handle GTA4 cous there 128bit

Thats exactly my point, there is a value point in buy a PC where the extra you pay does not = extra performance to the point where you would notice.

It is a little bit like car dynos, numbers are fine for bragging but not all that useful in using a comp day to day.

[Tom_1569]

U sure he isn't CSP?

LMAO, I had the same thought

Thats exactly my point, there is a value point in buy a PC where the extra you pay does not = extra performance to the point where you would notice.

Exactly, value for money, bang for buck etc, some people lose this common conception sometimes lol.

[mcrow5]

whats your budget? if your gonna use the pc at home, then a desktop would be best. however, if you wanna take it around with you a laptop is for you.

if you want a desktop;
cpu: intel q8200 2.33ghz
ram: 4gb ddr2 800mhz
graphics card: ATI HD4850 512mb
motherboard: gigabyte ud3
screen (if you need it): 22" screen or 24" depends how much money you have
case: coolermaster rc-690
harddrive: 500gb western digital (make sure you get the caviar black version, not the caviar green)
dvd drive: any pioneer one
mouse/keyboard: can use the one from the old pc.
operating system: windows vista 64bit (make sure its 64bit otherwise you wont be able to use the full 4gb of memory)

dont think ive forgotten anything there. thats just a basic system there, if you've got a high budget (2.5k) then i can spec an i7 system for you (better cpu).

[smith#29]

ok thanx for all of the reply's fellas, been a bit busy not getting on here so will try and answer the questions i was asked.

STEALTHY: location is in the middle of vic. might be worth looking into, good to save a few $$$.

Tom_1569: budget would be around 1500 - 2000.

vy_storm: the old one was a dell, believe the mother board was what stuffed up and was unable to be repaired. thinking back was around 4-5 yrs old.

It probably wont be used outside of the house, so as sugested will lean towards at desktop, and just use the old laptop for holidays etc.

As for custom build, i would have to listen to you guys there, because ive really got no idea about the inside of a computer lol, so would probably be easier to just buy a brand name computer?

thanx again guys.

[Tom_1569]

ok thanx for all of the reply's fellas, been a bit busy not getting on here so will try and answer the questions i was asked.

STEALTHY: location is in the middle of vic. might be worth looking into, good to save a few $$$.

Tom_1569: budget would be around 1500 - 2000.

vy_storm: the old one was a dell, believe the mother board was what stuffed up and was unable to be repaired. thinking back was around 4-5 yrs old.

It probably wont be used outside of the house, so as sugested will lean towards at desktop, and just use the old laptop for holidays etc.

As for custom build, i would have to listen to you guys there, because ive really got no idea about the inside of a computer lol, so would probably be easier to just buy a brand name computer?

thanx again guys.

Mid vic? Would that be Bendigo area?

1500-2000 is very realistic budget for what you want, not today as its been a long few days but I will throw some system specs you can get for that price, as a custom PC builder, to give you an idea and compare against brand name PC's.
Are you only wanting a new box? or other components? preference of Operating system?

A brand name PC is definitly the easiest solution as in you walk in, have little decissions to make, hand the cash over and come home. BUT it is definitly not bang for buck or a way to get the best system.

[mcrow5]

A brand name PC is definitly the easiest solution as in you walk in, have little decissions to make, hand the cash over and come home. BUT it is definitly not bang for buck or a way to get the best system.

brand name pc's are generally overpriced for what hardware they have inside them.

[Tom_1569]

BUT it is definitly not bang for buck or a way to get the best system.

brand name pc's are generally overpriced for what hardware they have inside them.

I Know, I clearly said that. lol

[smith#29]

Tom_1569: mallee area, about 100k south of Mildura.

Are you only wanting a new box? or other components? preference of Operating system?

do you mean as in screen and keyboard etc? if so, would want a new flat screen but would i need to get a new keyboard etc? old ones are still perfect.

preference of Operating system? you mean xp, vista, etc?

thanx again guys.

[Tom_1569]

Tom_1569: mallee area, about 100k south of Mildura.

Are you only wanting a new box? or other components? preference of Operating system?

do you mean as in screen and keyboard etc? if so, would want a new flat screen but would i need to get a new keyboard etc? old ones are still perfect.

preference of Operating system? you mean xp, vista, etc?

thanx again guys.

Yeah, screen, keyboard, mouse, printer etc.

Any ideas on the sort of screen you want?

Yeah Operating system is Vista, also thinking about, which version of Vista, like Ultimate, Business, Home premium, Home basic etc, or XP